When Teen DatingTurns Abusive and Violent

When teens startdating,parents' worries grow.__________(46)Nearly 10 percent of teenagersexperience some form of violence in their dating relationships,according to the

U.S.Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.

Dating violenceencompasses physical,emotional and sexual abuse,the CDC notes.___________ (47)Astudy in the January issue of Pediatrics found that teens who had

experienced datingviolence were more likely to binge drink,smoke,have depression symptoms,thinkabout suicide and experience additional intimate partner violence than

were their peerswho'd never experienced dating violence.

Often,though,abusivebehavior starts with teasing and name-calling,which teens may see as a normalpart of a relationship but which,according to the CDC,can lead to more

serious violence,such as hitting or rape.

Nancy Diaz,adomestic violence consultant who has provided services to Outreach in New York City,said thatwhen she explains verbal abuse to teens,many think it's just

normal conversation.__________(48) "It's the cycle of violence,"Diaz said.

If a teen girl slapsa teen boy,the boy often says it's not abuse because it doesn't hurt,but Diazexplains that it is._________(49)"That's rape,but the girls don't think ofit as

rape,"Diazsaid.

Forparents,protection starts with knowing the person their teen isdating."Invite them in,or offer to drive them somewhere," Diazsaid."Just make sure you know who they're

connectingwith."__________(50)"Look for sores,bruises or scratches,and checkout what they're doing on social media like Facebook."________（48）

A.Often their ownmothers,who may be young,have spoken to them in just that way.

B.Beyond theimmediate effects of violent relationships,longer-range impacts loom.

C.She said that somegangs initiate girls by forcing them to have sex with all of the gang'smembers.

D.Many violentrelationships bring much physical harm.

E.Discovering thatabuse is occurring can be hard,but"watch out for socialisolation,with-drawal from friends and activities,"Diaz said.